Light rifle chassis

Abstract

A lightweight rifle has a chassis with a forward receptacle and rear receptacle, a forend tube with a male key, a barrel, a breech, a spacer, a trigger guard, a grip, and a butt stock adapter. The barrel and breech connect along a shared longitudinal axis, and the resulting subassembly inserts into the forend tube. The spacer secures the connection between the breech and the forend tube with a combination of scope screws and rivets that extend through the forend tube, spacer, and breach, respectively. This forend tube subassembly connects to the chassis by inserting the forend tube male key into the chassis forward receptacle and further securing the male key and forward receptacle together with bolts. The butt stock adapter has a protruding male key and mates to the chassis rear receptacle. This allows for the quick and secure connection of a butt stock to the rifle chassis.

Thus, having described the invention, what is claimed is: 
     
       1. A rifle assembly comprising:
 a central chassis having a longitudinal axis for carrying a modular action, barrel, and forend tube, the chassis including a trigger guard, a grip, and a forward receptacle for securing the forend tube; 
 a modular receiver including a breech; 
 a modular barrel connected to the receiver; and 
 a modular forend tube having a forward tubular portion for receiving the barrel, a central opening aligned with the tubular portion for receiving the receiver, and a rail extending over the forend tube including the forward tubular portion and the central opening, the forend tube including the forward tubular portion, the central opening, and the rail being integrally constructed of one piece, the forend tube being securable to the receiver and central chassis simultaneously. 
 
     
     
       2. The rifle assembly of  claim 1  wherein the forend tube is composed of a material having a density lighter than that of steel. 
     
     
       3. The rifle assembly of  claim 1  wherein the modular barrel is composed of a material having a density lighter than that of steel. 
     
     
       4. A rifle assembly comprising:
 a central chassis having a longitudinal axis for carrying a modular receiver, barrel, and forend tube, the chassis including a trigger guard, a grip, and a forward receptacle for securing the forend tube; 
 a modular receiver including a breech; 
 a modular barrel connected to the receiver; 
 a modular forend tube having a forward tubular portion for receiving the barrel, a central opening aligned with the tubular portion for receiving the receiver, a key extending downward from the tubular portion configured to mate with the chassis receptacle to secure the forend tube thereto; and a rail extending over the forend tube including the forward tubular portion and the central opening, the forend tube at the central opening being spaced from the receiver when secured to the central chassis; and 
 a spacer between the forend tube and the receiver, the spacer connecting the forend tube and the receiver forward and rearward of the breech. 
 
     
     
       5. The rifle assembly of  claim 4  wherein the spacer is of one piece and spans the breech. 
     
     
       6. The rifle assembly of  claim 4  wherein the spacer comprises more than one piece. 
     
     
       7. The rifle assembly of  claim 4  wherein the spacer is composed of a material having a density lighter than that of steel. 
     
     
       8. A rifle assembly comprising:
 a central chassis having a longitudinal axis for carrying a modular receiver, barrel, and forend tube, the chassis including a trigger guard, a grip, and a forward female receptacle for securing the forend tube; 
 a modular receiver including a breech; 
 a modular barrel connected to the receiver; and 
 a modular forend tube having a forward tubular portion for receiving the barrel, a central opening aligned with the tubular portion for receiving the receiver, a male key extending downward from the tubular portion configured to mate with the chassis female receptacle to secure the forend tube thereto; and a rail extending over the forend tube including the forward tubular portion and the central opening. 
 
     
     
       9. The rifle assembly of  claim 8  wherein a longitudinal axis of the rail extending over the forend tube is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the male key extending downward from the forend tube. 
     
     
       10. A rifle assembly comprising:
 a central chassis having a longitudinal axis for carrying a modular receiver, barrel, and forend tube, the chassis including a trigger guard, a grip, a forward receptacle for securing the forend tube and a rearward-facing female receptacle for securing a butt stock; 
 a modular receiver including a breech; 
 a modular barrel connected to the receiver; 
 a modular forend tube having a forward tubular portion for receiving the barrel, a central opening aligned with the tubular portion for receiving the receiver, a male key extending downward from the tubular portion configured to mate with the chassis female receptacle to secure the forend tube thereto; and a rail extending over the forend tube including the forward tubular portion and the central opening, the forend tube at the central opening being spaced from the receiver when secured to the central chassis, the forend tube including the forward tubular portion, the central opening and the rail being integrally constructed of one piece; and 
 a spacer between the forend tube and the receiver, the spacer spanning the breech and connecting the forend tube and the receiver forward and rearward of the breech. 
 
     
     
       11. A method of assembling a lightweight rifle, comprising:
 providing a central chassis having a longitudinal axis for carrying a modular receiver, barrel, and forend tube, the chassis including a trigger guard, a grip, and a forward female receptacle for securing the forend tube; 
 providing a modular receiver including a breech; 
 providing a modular barrel connected to the receiver; 
 providing a modular forend tube having a forward tubular portion for receiving the barrel, a central opening aligned with the tubular portion for receiving the receiver, a male key extending downward from the tubular portion configured to mate with the chassis female receptacle to secure the forend tube thereto; and a rail extending over the forend tube including the forward tubular portion and the central opening, the forend tube at the central opening being spaced from the receiver when secured to the central chassis, the forend tube including the forward tubular portion, the central opening, and the rail being integrally constructed of one piece; 
 providing a spacer between the forend tube and the receiver, the spacer connecting the forend tube to the receiver forward and rearward of the breech; 
 connecting the spacer to the forend tube and to the receiver, the spacer being in at least one position forward or rearward of the breech; and 
 inserting the male key of the forend tube sub-assembly into the female receptacle of the central chassis. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  further including securing the spacer to the forend tube and receiver with at least one rivet. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11  further including securing the spacer to the forend tube and receiver with at least one screw. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11  further including securing the butt stock adapter to the butt central chassis rearward-facing receptacle with at least one bolt. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11  further including connecting the spacer to the forend tube and to the receiver, the spacer being in a position forward and rearward of the breech, the spacer being composed of one piece that spans the gap of the breech. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11  further including connecting the spacer to the forend tube and to the receiver, the spacer being in a position forward and rearward of the breech, the spacer being composed of more than one piece.